Andrew Januik of Andrew Januik Wines, Southern Sojourn, and Novelty Hill-Januik Winery
Andrew Januik’s career in wine is more like the old wine world rather than the new. Instead of starting in wine later in life after other careers, or pursuing a degree in enology and viticulture, Andrew grew up in the industry. His father Mike Januik was head winemaker at Chateau Ste. Michelle in the 1990s, and then after 1999 winemaker for Novelty Hill-Januik Winery. Andrew started working in the cellar at age 13, and so learned winemaking by working alongside his father and other winemakers. In 2011 at the age of 24, he started his own label of Andrew Januik Wines to develop his own distinct style. Andrew also worked harvests and helped to make wine for others in South America and South Africa. He enjoyed living in South America so much that he started making his own wines in Argentina and Chile under the Southern Sojourn label.
In college, Andrew majored in Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Washington. As part of his studies, he lived in Granada, Spain and fell in love with the Spanish language and culture. This love sent him to South America for wine work, where the harvests conveniently occurred during winters in Washington. In 2017 he started to make his own wines in Argentina and then a few years later in Chile. Today he produces roughly 1000 cases under the Southern Sojourn label, and then imports them into the US for selling. These wines are in addition to the 1600 cases he makes under his Andrew Januik Wines label, as well as the Novelty Hill-Januik wines he helps to produce. Andrew is a busy guy, and in this interview he discusses his many projects, comparing terroir, wines and winemaking in Argentina, Chile and Washington. The interview is full of great story and fascinating information.
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